Bhagavad Gita BG 18.27
Chapter 18, Verse 27 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर् लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः । हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः ॥
ragi karma-phala-prepsur lubdho himsatmako 'shucih harsha-shokAnvitah karta rajasah parikirtitah
Meaning
The doer who is passionate (ragi), who desires the fruits of action (karma-phala-prepsuh), who is greedy (lubdha), harmful in nature (himsa-atmaka), impure (ashuchi), and moved by joy and grief (harsha-shoka-anvita) — is declared rajasic.
Understanding
The rajasic karta portrait is the behavioral antithesis of the sattvic. Ragi (passionate, filled with raga — attachment-based attraction). Karma-phala-prepsuh (seeking/desiring the fruits of action — the opposite of aphala-prepsuna). Lubdha (greedy, avaricious — wanting more than one's share). Himsa-atmaka (harmful in nature — whose essential nature tends toward harm, perhaps through competitive aggression in pursuit of results). Ashuchi (impure — one whose inner state is contaminated by desire and greed). Harsha-shoka-anvita (accompanied by joy and grief — harsha when things go well, shoka when they go badly). This last is the rajasic doer's essential instability: because the results are desperately wanted, success produces elation and failure produces despair. The rajasic doer is on an emotional roller-coaster generated entirely by their attachment to outcomes.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| रागी | ragi | passionate, filled with raga (attraction-based desire) |
| कर्मफलप्रेप्सुः | karma-phala-prepsuh | one who seeks the fruit of action (karma = action, phala = fruit, prepsuh = seeker) |
| लुब्धः | lubdhah | greedy, covetous, avaricious (from lubh = to covet) |
| हिंसात्मकः | himsatmakah | harmful in nature, whose essence is harm (himsa = harm, atmaka = having the nature of) |
| हर्षशोकान्वितः | harsha-shokAnvitah | accompanied by joy (harsha) and grief (shoka) — emotionally reactive to outcomes |
| रागी | rāgī | attached, passionate |
| कर्म-फल-प्रेप्सुः | karma-phala-prepsuḥ | desiring the fruits of action |
| लुब्धः | lubdhaḥ | greedy |
| हिंसा-आत्मकः | hiṃsā-ātmakaḥ | violent in nature |
| अशुचिः | aśuciḥ | impure |
| हर्ष-शोक-अन्वितः | harṣa-śoka-anvitaḥ | affected by joy and grief |
| कर्ता | kartā | doer |
| राजसः | rājasaḥ | in passion |
| परिकीर्तितः | parikīrtitaḥ | is declared |
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